Mission Makeover: DIY Kitchen Island

HGTV Magazine shows you how to repurpose a secondhand console table into a custom kitchen island. See how the newly painted furniture piece on casters creates extra space for kitchen organization and cooking.

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Before: Boring Old Console Table

It took less than 30 minutes of perusing craigslist.com to come across a well-made console table that was looking for a new home. (Cost: $75)

After: Presto Chango!

With its long, slim top and lower shelf, the table could quickly be turned into a kitchen workstation  one that wouldn't take up much space. This makeover didn't require major construction skills, just some savvy shopping for a new surface for the top, hardware, casters and paint. (Cost: $265) See how they did it with this step-by-step guide.

Kitchen Tabletop

To make it a functional food prep space, it needed a new top. This one had 1/2 inch-thick polyethylene (a common material for cutting boards) cut to the dimensions of the console's top ($66 for a 48-inch-by-16-inch) piece, cuttingboardcompany.com). You can also try butcher block, granite or marble, but they cost more.

Color and Casters

The entire table was primed and then painted with a semigloss latex, which can be wiped down in case of food splatters. After it dried, casters were added to the bottom of each leg. (Paint Color: Edamame by HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams)